Watch out for a big problem in Cobb County in the near future.. I have been trying to raise awareness about the issue of inadequate provisions for psychiatric patients in Cobb County for some time.. I have seen too many desperate people unable to get help in this area - people who urgently needed it!
Desperate psychiatric patients wait | ajc.com
Friday, June 25, 2010
Saturday, October 10, 2009
On Obama getting the Nobel Peace Prize..
After Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld
With all their words of War
Their hatred for the rest of the world
Which shook peacemakers to the core..
It's been refreshing to hear words of reason,
The Guantanamo Bay inmates' release,
Communication with the Arab World
Talk of Diplomacy and Peace
Obama has reached out to the world
With a handshake of co-operation
He's wants to understand both sides
And has made us proud as a Nation
If it hadn't been for Barack Obama
There would now be a lot more war
Although you may feel he doesn't deserve it
Tell me, who deserved it more?
With all their words of War
Their hatred for the rest of the world
Which shook peacemakers to the core..
It's been refreshing to hear words of reason,
The Guantanamo Bay inmates' release,
Communication with the Arab World
Talk of Diplomacy and Peace
Obama has reached out to the world
With a handshake of co-operation
He's wants to understand both sides
And has made us proud as a Nation
If it hadn't been for Barack Obama
There would now be a lot more war
Although you may feel he doesn't deserve it
Tell me, who deserved it more?
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Obama's "Failure"
I am amused that the extremist right groups in this country have managed to persuade anyone on the right of center that Obama is failing recently..
First, they said Cash For Clunkers was a failure.. hello? Oh I see what you mean, its a failure because its TOO successful? Because TOO MANY people are trying to buy new cars, trading in their old ones? Ah! So now I know what "failure" means to Republican Americans.. it means "too successful".. Bill Gates, you are a failure by Republican definition.. Hmm.. somehow something doesnt seem right to me there..
Next it was that Obama was "taking away our health care choices".. Hmm, that is odd. When I heard him speak, and indeed when I read the proposal for the Bill, it seemed to me that Obama was ADDING a choice and taking away NOTHING..?? Maybe I misunderstood something? Oh no, I dont think I did - it says it in black and white on the White House Website..
"Health reform must be built on three fundamental principles: It must lower the skyrocketing cost of health care; guarantee choice of doctors and plans; and assure quality affordable health care for every American. A public option would achieve those goals and give the American people more choices. It would foster greater competition; lower costs; and give consumers a greater variety of affordable choices."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq#i2
Then the Republicans claimed that rationing would prevent people from getting treatment they wanted/needed. Hang on, isnt that what happens right now? Even I cant see whatever doctor I want to - I have to go to a doctor who works within my plan.. and I know of many people who were dropped by their insurance companies because they had a "pre-existing condition". Also, haven't premiums doubled in the past 10 years, making it impossible for many hardworking Americans to AFFORD health insurance? Isn't that a form of rationing by Private companies?? In fact, on investigation I find that Obama's plan aims to reduce or even eliminate much of the rationing that goes on under the current system! Funny - isnt that the reverse of what the Republicans claim??
http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq#r1
So I asked the Obama team about the Heathcare Reform Bill, and the "misinformation" I am coming across on Right wing TV and Radio and Websites..
This is their response..
"There's nothing accidental about the lies floating around -- they are cooked up specifically to prey on people's fears and terrify them into opposing the insurance reforms we all need. It's a desperate, shameless tactic -- but with your help, we can set the record straight and make sure Americans know the truth about health insurance reform.
At the "Reality Check" site, you'll hear from some of President Obama's top officials who set the record straight on the rumors and lies that the opponents of reform have been circulating.
Securing real reform and fixing the broken status quo are too important for us to stand on the sidelines and hope for the best. To win this fight, we have to make sure the real facts prevail.
Check out the new site, and do your part by giving health care rumors a reality check:
http://my.barackobama.com/RealityCheck"
Obama - keep on failing the way you are doing..
First, they said Cash For Clunkers was a failure.. hello? Oh I see what you mean, its a failure because its TOO successful? Because TOO MANY people are trying to buy new cars, trading in their old ones? Ah! So now I know what "failure" means to Republican Americans.. it means "too successful".. Bill Gates, you are a failure by Republican definition.. Hmm.. somehow something doesnt seem right to me there..
Next it was that Obama was "taking away our health care choices".. Hmm, that is odd. When I heard him speak, and indeed when I read the proposal for the Bill, it seemed to me that Obama was ADDING a choice and taking away NOTHING..?? Maybe I misunderstood something? Oh no, I dont think I did - it says it in black and white on the White House Website..
"Health reform must be built on three fundamental principles: It must lower the skyrocketing cost of health care; guarantee choice of doctors and plans; and assure quality affordable health care for every American. A public option would achieve those goals and give the American people more choices. It would foster greater competition; lower costs; and give consumers a greater variety of affordable choices."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq#i2
Then the Republicans claimed that rationing would prevent people from getting treatment they wanted/needed. Hang on, isnt that what happens right now? Even I cant see whatever doctor I want to - I have to go to a doctor who works within my plan.. and I know of many people who were dropped by their insurance companies because they had a "pre-existing condition". Also, haven't premiums doubled in the past 10 years, making it impossible for many hardworking Americans to AFFORD health insurance? Isn't that a form of rationing by Private companies?? In fact, on investigation I find that Obama's plan aims to reduce or even eliminate much of the rationing that goes on under the current system! Funny - isnt that the reverse of what the Republicans claim??
http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/faq#r1
So I asked the Obama team about the Heathcare Reform Bill, and the "misinformation" I am coming across on Right wing TV and Radio and Websites..
This is their response..
"There's nothing accidental about the lies floating around -- they are cooked up specifically to prey on people's fears and terrify them into opposing the insurance reforms we all need. It's a desperate, shameless tactic -- but with your help, we can set the record straight and make sure Americans know the truth about health insurance reform.
At the "Reality Check" site, you'll hear from some of President Obama's top officials who set the record straight on the rumors and lies that the opponents of reform have been circulating.
Securing real reform and fixing the broken status quo are too important for us to stand on the sidelines and hope for the best. To win this fight, we have to make sure the real facts prevail.
Check out the new site, and do your part by giving health care rumors a reality check:
http://my.barackobama.com/RealityCheck"
Obama - keep on failing the way you are doing..
Sunday, June 21, 2009
English Spelling
I cannot believe the latest news about spelling in the UK. The govt is apparently telling teachers not to teach kids the rule "i before e except after c" because there are "too many exceptions" to the rule. This plainly shows the ignorance of those in the dept of education in the UK. As any well-educated Brit knows, the rule is actually "i before e except after c, when the sound is ee".. and there are actually NO exceptions. Isn't it sad that the bureaucrats who run education in the UK are ignorant about the English Language themselves? Shocking.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090620/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_spelling_shake_up
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090620/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_spelling_shake_up
Friday, June 12, 2009
The Future of Affordable Healthcare
Ok, so much has changed since my last post on this subject but this is probably the most important issue for this country's future so I make no apologies for posting a second time.
America's healthcare system is corrupt and broken. It is great if you are healthy and hardly ever need to see the doctor or take drugs. However, very few of us make it through our whole lives without one serious illness or the need for expensive drugs.
Too many people go bankrupt cos they get sick once in their life.
Too many parents have to choose between feeding their children or getting them health insurance.
Too many people have to worry about the hospital bills rather than concentrate on a loved ones final days before they leave this world.. how awful to hope your loved one dies fast so the hospital bills dont bankrupt you?
How awful that health care costs so much more because Doctors have to insure themselves to the hilt because lawyers are allowed to pursue ridiculous lawsuits.. and how awful that health care costs so much more because the Drug companies are allowed to charge whatever they like for life saving drugs..
Such are the consequences of unfettered capitalism.. it is time for some regulation and control over these expenses that mean health care plans are too expensive for so many..
I have a "remedy" for the health system.
Pass a law that states that if a lawsuit against a doctor is found to be just an attempt to extort money from a doctor for doing his/her job, and/or being human and making mistakes.. the complainant is fined or has to pay a proportionate amount of the defendent's court costs.
Pass a law that states that the drugs companies cannot charge more than x% on top of the costs of making the drugs (say 20%), and that the govt funds all drug research. Also make it possible to get drugs over the internet if you have a prescription. The drugs companies often claim their high costs are because they have to fund all the research that goes into drugs but these costs DONT come close to the amount extra they make (hence the huge profits).
Pass a law that states that noone can be refused health care on the basis of pre-existing complaints/illnesses.
Pass a law that states that no person should ever lose more than half their worth because of severe illness. The govt and health care company should soak it up 50/50 in these cases.
These changes alone should enable everyone in America to have affordable health care and not to live in fear of going bankrupt due to poor health.
Better still, make the leap to fully nationalized healthcare like in the UK - people in the UK still have the option to go private if they want care faster or "better" - but noone is refused treatment if they need it.
America's healthcare system is corrupt and broken. It is great if you are healthy and hardly ever need to see the doctor or take drugs. However, very few of us make it through our whole lives without one serious illness or the need for expensive drugs.
Too many people go bankrupt cos they get sick once in their life.
Too many parents have to choose between feeding their children or getting them health insurance.
Too many people have to worry about the hospital bills rather than concentrate on a loved ones final days before they leave this world.. how awful to hope your loved one dies fast so the hospital bills dont bankrupt you?
How awful that health care costs so much more because Doctors have to insure themselves to the hilt because lawyers are allowed to pursue ridiculous lawsuits.. and how awful that health care costs so much more because the Drug companies are allowed to charge whatever they like for life saving drugs..
Such are the consequences of unfettered capitalism.. it is time for some regulation and control over these expenses that mean health care plans are too expensive for so many..
I have a "remedy" for the health system.
Pass a law that states that if a lawsuit against a doctor is found to be just an attempt to extort money from a doctor for doing his/her job, and/or being human and making mistakes.. the complainant is fined or has to pay a proportionate amount of the defendent's court costs.
Pass a law that states that the drugs companies cannot charge more than x% on top of the costs of making the drugs (say 20%), and that the govt funds all drug research. Also make it possible to get drugs over the internet if you have a prescription. The drugs companies often claim their high costs are because they have to fund all the research that goes into drugs but these costs DONT come close to the amount extra they make (hence the huge profits).
Pass a law that states that noone can be refused health care on the basis of pre-existing complaints/illnesses.
Pass a law that states that no person should ever lose more than half their worth because of severe illness. The govt and health care company should soak it up 50/50 in these cases.
These changes alone should enable everyone in America to have affordable health care and not to live in fear of going bankrupt due to poor health.
Better still, make the leap to fully nationalized healthcare like in the UK - people in the UK still have the option to go private if they want care faster or "better" - but noone is refused treatment if they need it.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Sicko
I come from the UK. But I now live in the USA.
I have never ever heard of anyone in the UK being denied life saving treatment by the National Health Service.
I have never heard of anyone in the UK who was badly disabled being left without good treatment and care.
I have heard of lots of people with cancer getting the best (often also the most costly) drugs to treat them at no cost to them at all. I have heard of lots of people who needed it who have been in hospital for days, weeks and months at no cost to them at all.
I myself was in hospital whenever I needed to be, almost on demand, when I was sick for nearly two years - I only had to turn up at the Emergency Room and they would get me a bed within the hour - no charge, no stress, no hassles.
I also have had to have lots of medications during my lifetime but I never paid more than $14 for any one of them - which is less than the copay I currently have to pay for every prescription I get in the USA - and yet we apparently have "excellent" health insurance!!
I do know that the facts and figures show that the health care system in the UK is better in a great many ways than that in the US. For example, UK babies die at birth less often than in the US, people live longer in the UK than in the US etc. See Michael Moore's website for more details at
http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/checkup/
Since I came here, to the US, I have personally heard of a Fire Fighter (a good friend of my husband's best friend) who was in a car crash on the way to work, who was left completely disabled and had to rely on his friends and a website to raise money for his treatment because he bust the limit on his Health Insurance.
I have a good friend, Tabatha, who has two daughters who are "uninsurable" because one has cancer and the other has a muscular-skeletal disorder.
I have an aquaintance who (despite the fact that she completely supports the US Health System) says her mother has also been denied insurance due to pre-existing conditions.
I personally had to pay more in CO PAY for my teeth to have a crown than my Aunt did to have her crown in the UK. And she paid the FULL PRICE in the UK, as she went private for her health treatment.
Also, although I am convinced of a link between MMR and autism (in the UK this view is far more prevalent among doctors than it is over here, and I often wonder why), I was put in a position where I HAD to allow my son to have the MMR vaccine. I tried for months to find a doctor who would be willing to administer the separate vaccines to my son (I had personally managed to find a pharmacy who would provide these separate vaccines to a doctor's office, at my own personal cost) but not a single doctor in Georgia was willing to administer the separate vaccines for me. If I didnt allow my son to be immunised against Measles, Mumps, Rubella by the age of 2 years, I was told my son would not be allowed to go to school in Georgia. So I had to allow him to have the MMR despite the fact that I was terrified he might get autism.
I thought this was the "Land of the Free" - I thought here, as a parent, I would have the choice about something as important as this?
It seems to me that most of Michael Moore's facts in 'Sicko' are pretty indisputable, given that he has put them up on his website with all the supporting evidence.. and given that even Fox News has praised his documentary/film!
It seems that the Drugs and Healthcare firms are making lots of money at our expense and yet are not there for us when we really need them. The Insurers find excuses to drop us once we get a serious illness, they deny healthcare insurance to anyone with any of a long list of existing complaints. The Drugs companies seem to be charging a great deal more for drugs in this country than in the countries where they have a nationalized health service - and are putting out false information about why that is the case.
I love so many things about living in the USA, but the Private Healthcare system is NOT one of them.. I hope the next election puts that right!
I have never ever heard of anyone in the UK being denied life saving treatment by the National Health Service.
I have never heard of anyone in the UK who was badly disabled being left without good treatment and care.
I have heard of lots of people with cancer getting the best (often also the most costly) drugs to treat them at no cost to them at all. I have heard of lots of people who needed it who have been in hospital for days, weeks and months at no cost to them at all.
I myself was in hospital whenever I needed to be, almost on demand, when I was sick for nearly two years - I only had to turn up at the Emergency Room and they would get me a bed within the hour - no charge, no stress, no hassles.
I also have had to have lots of medications during my lifetime but I never paid more than $14 for any one of them - which is less than the copay I currently have to pay for every prescription I get in the USA - and yet we apparently have "excellent" health insurance!!
I do know that the facts and figures show that the health care system in the UK is better in a great many ways than that in the US. For example, UK babies die at birth less often than in the US, people live longer in the UK than in the US etc. See Michael Moore's website for more details at
http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/checkup/
Since I came here, to the US, I have personally heard of a Fire Fighter (a good friend of my husband's best friend) who was in a car crash on the way to work, who was left completely disabled and had to rely on his friends and a website to raise money for his treatment because he bust the limit on his Health Insurance.
I have a good friend, Tabatha, who has two daughters who are "uninsurable" because one has cancer and the other has a muscular-skeletal disorder.
I have an aquaintance who (despite the fact that she completely supports the US Health System) says her mother has also been denied insurance due to pre-existing conditions.
I personally had to pay more in CO PAY for my teeth to have a crown than my Aunt did to have her crown in the UK. And she paid the FULL PRICE in the UK, as she went private for her health treatment.
Also, although I am convinced of a link between MMR and autism (in the UK this view is far more prevalent among doctors than it is over here, and I often wonder why), I was put in a position where I HAD to allow my son to have the MMR vaccine. I tried for months to find a doctor who would be willing to administer the separate vaccines to my son (I had personally managed to find a pharmacy who would provide these separate vaccines to a doctor's office, at my own personal cost) but not a single doctor in Georgia was willing to administer the separate vaccines for me. If I didnt allow my son to be immunised against Measles, Mumps, Rubella by the age of 2 years, I was told my son would not be allowed to go to school in Georgia. So I had to allow him to have the MMR despite the fact that I was terrified he might get autism.
I thought this was the "Land of the Free" - I thought here, as a parent, I would have the choice about something as important as this?
It seems to me that most of Michael Moore's facts in 'Sicko' are pretty indisputable, given that he has put them up on his website with all the supporting evidence.. and given that even Fox News has praised his documentary/film!
It seems that the Drugs and Healthcare firms are making lots of money at our expense and yet are not there for us when we really need them. The Insurers find excuses to drop us once we get a serious illness, they deny healthcare insurance to anyone with any of a long list of existing complaints. The Drugs companies seem to be charging a great deal more for drugs in this country than in the countries where they have a nationalized health service - and are putting out false information about why that is the case.
I love so many things about living in the USA, but the Private Healthcare system is NOT one of them.. I hope the next election puts that right!
Muslim Hating has gotten out of hand
The first thing I feel the need to comment upon is the level of hatred against the Muslim population that has been created within this country.
Let me first say that I was very astonished that World War 3 did not begin on September 12 2001. September 11th was a day that shocked me to the core of my being, made me terrified and angry, and I am not one who thinks it was all a conspiracy theory hatched by the US Govt. I think it was the work of terrorists. And I think too that they were fanatical extreme Muslims.
However, Bill O'Reilly and Fox News would have the general US population believe that because of the work of 19 Fanatical and far out Muslims, the rest of the Muslim population is also bad. Even when they dont say this explicitly, they imply it is so by criticizing the Muslim population for their silence, for not speaking out against the fanatics etc.
Anyone that thinks that that is true please PLEASE PLEASE actually read ALL these links
http://www.muhajabah.com/otherscondemn.php
http://www.mediamonitors.net/riadabdelkarim3.html
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/03/01/barrett/index.htmlhttp://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=AM0109-335
http://toledotalk.com/cgi-bin/tt.pl/article/13101/Poll__93_of_Muslims_Worldwide_Condemn_911_Attacks_-_0_Approve_of_Attacks_on_Religious_Grounds
http://www.subzeroblue.com/archives/2008/02/93_of_muslims_worldw.html
..more can be provided on request if you want it
However, the problem is, that most muslims dont believe that the people who carried out the 9/11 attacks were Muslims!! They feel that, if they condemn the Muslim attackers, they would be admitting that the attackers were Muslims! They dont think the attackers were true Muslims any more than the Christian churches believe that murderers and terrorists who claim to have carried out atrocities in the name of God believe that they are Christians - they believe they are NUTS, not real Christians!! The same goes for the REAL Muslims!!
Muslims DO have a different culture and deal with things in a very different way to the one we are used to - their condemnation is definitely a more private, internal thing, but possibly is stronger because of that within the world in which they live - a very different one to ours..
Let me first say that I was very astonished that World War 3 did not begin on September 12 2001. September 11th was a day that shocked me to the core of my being, made me terrified and angry, and I am not one who thinks it was all a conspiracy theory hatched by the US Govt. I think it was the work of terrorists. And I think too that they were fanatical extreme Muslims.
However, Bill O'Reilly and Fox News would have the general US population believe that because of the work of 19 Fanatical and far out Muslims, the rest of the Muslim population is also bad. Even when they dont say this explicitly, they imply it is so by criticizing the Muslim population for their silence, for not speaking out against the fanatics etc.
Anyone that thinks that that is true please PLEASE PLEASE actually read ALL these links
http://www.muhajabah.com/otherscondemn.php
http://www.mediamonitors.net/riadabdelkarim3.html
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/03/01/barrett/index.htmlhttp://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=AM0109-335
http://toledotalk.com/cgi-bin/tt.pl/article/13101/Poll__93_of_Muslims_Worldwide_Condemn_911_Attacks_-_0_Approve_of_Attacks_on_Religious_Grounds
http://www.subzeroblue.com/archives/2008/02/93_of_muslims_worldw.html
..more can be provided on request if you want it
However, the problem is, that most muslims dont believe that the people who carried out the 9/11 attacks were Muslims!! They feel that, if they condemn the Muslim attackers, they would be admitting that the attackers were Muslims! They dont think the attackers were true Muslims any more than the Christian churches believe that murderers and terrorists who claim to have carried out atrocities in the name of God believe that they are Christians - they believe they are NUTS, not real Christians!! The same goes for the REAL Muslims!!
Muslims DO have a different culture and deal with things in a very different way to the one we are used to - their condemnation is definitely a more private, internal thing, but possibly is stronger because of that within the world in which they live - a very different one to ours..
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